KARACHI, Sept 16: Remarks of President Musharraf on rape victims were widely condemned by different sections of society, particularly women, on Friday. Gen Musharraf, who is on a tour to the United States, in an interview to American newspaper had stated that women got raped to get visa of western countries. The remarks were carried in local media as well.
The protesters demanded that the president should take these derogatory remarks back, otherwise, countrywide demonstrations would be launched on his return to Pakistan.
In this regard, a demonstration was organized by the Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights at the Press Club. The protesters said that Gen Musharraf had used crude words for the women of Pakistan which had put a question mark on the nobility of the country’s women.
They said that Gen Musharraf’s words — which were indicative of an extremely bigoted, prejudiced, chauvinistic mindset that has put the womenfolk backward in their struggle for progress — had disgraced the nation in general and women in particular.
They said that Mukhtaran Mai, like many other rape victims, had just one demand that she wanted justice. Criticizing the president policy of enlightened moderation, they said that no amount of expensive “soft image building” by the country could succeed in the face of such blatant injustice and statements.
They asked if a four-year-old girl who was raped last week and others who daily live with the crimes of incest and rape were doing it to get immigration to foreign lands.
They pointed out that the reprehensible crime of rape might occur in other parts of the world but the difference was that elsewhere women had access to justice. They said that in other countries there was no parallel judicial system like panchayts and jirgas, which ordered the raping of local women.
They said that all efforts and programmes for women’s progress would come to naught in the presence of such statements. They said that if Gen Musharraf did not take back his derogatory remarks, they would organize another demonstration on Sept 28 in which many victims would also be called in.
Relatives of five-year-old rape victim, who after being raped was murdered in Badin, also narrated their ordeal. The culprits had not yet been punished, they added.
On the occasion, JAC activists also staged a tableau and sang songs highlighting plight of local women and social workers.
NGOs whose activists were present on the occasion included Women Action Forum (WAF), Shirkat Gah, Aurat Foundation, PILER, WAR, PAWLA, HRCP, Amnesty International, Aahung, Action Aid, Hosla, URC, OPP, Fisher Folk Forum, SPO, PMA, Hands, IPC and Tehreek-i-Niswan.
President General Musharraf in an interview with Washington Post a few days back reportedly said that rape was a “money-making concern” and a way to get money and a visa to emigrate.
Meanwhile, the leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro, condemned Gen Musharraf’s remarks regarding rape victims and said that while the government had failed to protect the life and honour of the citizens, the president was making such remarks in foreign countries.
He said the president had made such remarks, which were against the culture, traditions and religion of Pakistanis, to please his western masters. He said that by making such remarks the president had started to show his true colours.
Nisar Khuhro assured the women that he would raise this issue at every forum.
Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto) Chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto criticizing Gen Musharraf’s remarks said that such statements would give “a green signal for sexual assault against women” and were contrary to the general’s claims of enlightened moderation.